Contentious poll in Yemen
Parliamentary elections in Yemen are over yet controversy over their fairness rages on, reports Nasser Arrabyee from Sana'a
President Ali Abdullah Saleh has called upon the newly elected House of Representatives to convene on 10 May 2003, after Prime Minister Abdul-Qader Bajamal submitted his government's resignation.
Saleh has accepted the resignation, requesting the government to continue its work until a new government can be formed. The opposition, however, feels that the ruling party has been guilty of political irregularities during the elections and has studied the option of withdrawing from parliament. It has even accused the regime of making concessions to international forces at the expense of the nation.
"I think international forces no longer need these concessions, and there is no haven for the rulers but in democracy," Islah's spokesman, Mohamed Kahtan, told reporters. "They wanted us to bury democracy by instigating violence on 27 April, but we did not give them the chance to do that, we insisted on democracy and peace."
"Unfortunately, some constituencies have been 'nationalised' by order of President Ali Abdullah Saleh," Kahtan added.
The outspoken Kahtan delivered his message to Saleh via a group of media representatives: "You, president, were the reason behind this problem, yet it will never be solved [the issue of real democracy] if you don't want to solve it," he said.
In parliamentary elections held last week, the ruling People's General Congress (PGC) Party managed a comfortable majority of 225 seats -- compared with 122 in 1993 and 187 in 1997 -- in the 301-seat House of Representatives. Islah took 45 seats -- compared with 63 in 1993 and 56 in 1997 -- and the Yemen Socialist Party (YSP) took seven seats, compared with 56 in 1993. The Unionist Nasserites won three seats and the Socialist Arab Ba'ath Party (Syrian wing) took two. Independents took 14 seats.
Voter turnout stood at 76 per cent, with the PGC winning 59 per cent, the Islah 24 per cent, the YSP five per cent, and Unionist Nasserites two per cent. Islah won 10 out of 19 constituencies in the capital Sana'a, indicating the popularity of this party among the educated. The ruling PGC draws most of its support from rural areas where illiteracy often tops 70 per cent.
The YSP obtained six constituencies in the southern governorates, where it once ruled for 14 years -- this was far fewer than expected. In Aden, for example, they won only one seat -- in 1993 they took all 10 constituencies of the city.
Despite the fact that the ruling PGC has a comfortable majority, the speaker of the new House will be the chairman of the Islah Party.
"We have agreed that Abdullah Bin Hussein Al-Ahmar will be the speaker of the coming parliament because the man [will behave in a non-partisan manner]," Abdul-Kareem Al- Iryani, secretary-general of the PGC, said.
Al-Ahmar, who was also the incumbent speaker, is the chief of the Hashed tribe, the country's biggest and most influential. He is also seen as the safety valve between the incumbent party and its opposition.
Interestingly, two of his sons were announced as the Islah's winning candidates, with two others announced as winning PGC candidates.
Election day was relatively free of violence, but during the vote-counting process there were numerous incidents in constituencies in and outside the capital. Eight people were reportedly killed and about 20 others injured in a number of separate incidents. In most cases, clashes occurred between members and supporters of the PGC and those of the Islah.
The six main opposition parties have threatened to withdraw from the parliamentary process in protest against what they consider to be electoral irregularities committed by the PGC. However, independent observers feel that this is unlikely to happen.
The Islah has accused the ruling PGC of using security forces and the resources of the state to turn results in its favour, especially in constituencies where Islah candidates did well.
Senior PGC officials strenuously denied that their party had exploited the state's resources during the election process, adding that the PGC relied solely on its members and supporters for funds.
The American National Democratic Institute (NDI), for its part, said that the elections saw a number of irregularities from political parties, especially the ruling party.
In his preliminary appraisal report, Leslie Campbell, an NDI representative, criticised the elections for threats exercised against some voters, the irresponsible behaviour of security men, vote buying, and setbacks in vote counting and the announcement of results. He confirmed that most of the blame for these irregularities rests on the ruling party, the PGC.
Unfortunately, there was little observation of the elections in rural areas.
President Saleh admitted that the elections saw numerous irregularities, adding that the perpetrators will be held to account once the elections are over.
Asked if his party will be among those held accountable, Saleh said, "the ruling party must set an example for others to follow, and it must be held accountable first."
President Saleh also stated that the PGC deserved to win the elections due to its achievements in service of the nation.
"It is the PGC that protected Yemen from what might have happened after the Cole incident, in the aftermath of 11 September and the war in Afghanistan, and it is the PGC that protected the nation from internal conflict," Saleh said as he cast his vote. The opposition considered this statement a violation of electoral law as it amounted to open support for the PGC.
In response, an opposition politician, who preferred not to be named, criticised Saleh by accusing the PGC of corruption.
Opposition parties accused the Supreme Committee for Elections and Referendum (SCER) and local and central authorities of obstructing opposition parties and bias in favour of the ruling party.
"The candidates of the ruling party were not working alone, but with the state and all of its weight behind them," Abdullah Dahan, an unsuccessful candidate for the Unionist Nasserites, said.
Conversely, Abdul-Kareem Al-Iryani described the SCER as the best committee in the electoral history of Yemen, and dismissed opposition party allegations as "pure lies".
